4 oz cheddar or Colby jack cheese sliced – cut into star shapes
Chopped parsley for garnish – if desired
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Place the Hatfield Bacon in a single layer on a paper towel lined plate. Cover with another layer of paper towels and microwave the bacon for 3 minutes. NOTE: the bacon will not be fully cooked at this point.
Allow the bacon to cool and then cut in half lengthwise to create 22 long strips. Set aside.
Roll out the the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface until it’s approximately 11″x10″ in size.
Spread 1/4 cup of the whipped cream cheese over the pastry sheet.
Place 11 strips of the partially cooked bacon in a row atop the cream cheese.
Using a pastry wheel, cut 11 rows of bacon topped pastry, creating 1 inch strips.
Fold the bacon topped pastry accordion-style to form a tree… starting with a wider base and narrowing as you go.
Slide a skewer through the base of the tree and up through to the top of the tree. Gently spread the layers slightly to retain the tree shape.
Place on a sheet pan and bake for 18 – 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and bacon is crispy.
Repeat with the 2nd pastry sheet, spreading the remaining 1/4 cup of whipped cream cheese and remaining bacon to form 11 more pastry trees.
Allow the trees to cool and then add a cheese star at the top of each skewer.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired.
Serve and enjoy!
Recipe created by Hatfield’s friend Michelle Atwood at iheartpublix.com.